Virgin Trains

It is a pleasure for us to work with the professional and experienced team at JSD. The launch of this new uniform range allows our front line staff to continue their excellent customer service wearing a sleek new look that’s unmistakeably Virgin.

Virgin Trains

From initial brief to delivery of garments, JSD delivered on this contract in just four months. That’s an outstanding achievement in itself. But when you know that the size specification for ladies ranged from 6 to 30, and that Virgin Trains required an unprecedented number of made to measure garments for 2,600 employees on trains and stations across the UK, it shows just what the JSD team can deliver!

Our brief from Virgin Trains was to design and develop a sleek, dynamic corporate clothing range for their staff, which ‘looks different from every other train operator’. Above all, we were asked to promote a trustworthy and reliable image. The range needed to be quite distinct from any uniform the rail company had used before, and on brand for the wider Virgin Group.

Virgin wanted the impact of their new staff clothing to be centred on their own HR philosophy of ‘looking good, feeling great’. Despite the incredibly tight deadline, we insisted on conducting a full design process in order to create this exciting clothing collection. A questionnaire was sent to all employees, with that data then fed back to our in-house team at JSD. Staff steering groups were set up, to ensure that the new look was employee-led. JSD developed a close working relationship with Virgin Trains, and staff consultation and communication has been essential at every stage of the process.

JSD’s senior designer was determined to produce a uniform that Virgin Trains staff would enjoy wearing. There were to be no ties, scarves or waistcoats – it was a big departure from all that went before. The result is an intelligently developed collection, with an emphasis on ‘fit for purpose’ construction that allows the staff to fulfil their varied roles. The informal, casual look makes the staff seem approachable and easy to identify.

Our team has created a concise range – tailored suits, shirts, polo shirts and blouses, knitwear and coats – that is stylishly simple in its design, with all the detail in the cut and tailoring, and in the tipping. In particular, the impeccably designed coat with detachable quilted lining can be worn across all grades: concealed details make it relevant for different job roles. This winter coat is ergonomically designed so that staff can perform their job function in comfort – and Virgin tell us that the JSD design has changed the way its staff wear coats!

We were asked to work with a colour palette of dark and light greys with flashes of bold red – a marked change from the previous Virgin navy uniforms. Different coloured blouses and shirts reflect different jobs: the majority of staff wear solid red to fit with the Virgin brand, muted grey for drivers (for safety reasons), and a combination of red and grey for train managers, making them easily recognisable to passengers.